Calm seas wanted

Diversifying the economy on the lower Peninsula needs to be a priority of leaders in both the public and private sectors, but we should never overlook the straw that stirs the drink here. Newport News Shipbuilding — employing nearly 24,000 people — remains the area's economic engine and its operations are critical to regional economic sustainability.

As the exclusive manufacturer of aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy, and one of only two facilities producing submarines, the shipyard is well positioned for the future. However a Congress chronically unwilling to reach consensus on long-term priorities could prove turbulent for a company — and a region — which greatly prefers calmer seas.

When officials with Newport News Shipbuilding and its parent company, Huntington Ingalls Industries, look at the horizon, they have ample reason to be pleased by what they see.

NNS is the largest industrial employer in Virginia and the nation's largest shipbuilder. Its $4 billion in annual revenue reflects the successful design, construction and delivery of the largest, most powerful and most technologically complex vessels ever produced.

The Navy knows it can depend on the company for superior craftsmanship and timely execution. As HII CEO Mike Petters said in a recent meeting with the editorial board, "In a volatile environment, there's value in saying you are who you say you are."

Confidence in the shipyard's work is evident in the billions being spent here by the federal government. In April, NNS won part of a $17.6 billion contract to produce 10 new Virginia-class nuclear submarines through 2018. It comes after a year in which HII received $9.4 billion in new contract awards.

With Washington's confidence comes something coveted by shipyard officials: continuity. When a manufacturing line is halted, they say a return to production is akin to starting from scratch. So keeping the ships moving from blueprint to dry dock to open sea is critical.

Look to the shipyard and one can see the cycle unfold. As builders dismantle the USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered carrier, as part of that ship's decommissioning, they near completion of the Gerald R. Ford, the first in a new class of carrier. Construction is under way on the John F. Kennedy, the second of the Ford class, as workers plan for future carriers.

Employees receive a steady paycheck, but stability has valued beyond the men and women who build these remarkable ships. Ultimately, investment by the Pentagon ripples through Hampton Roads to the tune of $5.5 billion annually, with businesses across the region benefiting as a result.

So when Congress dramatically cuts defense spending, as it did through sequestration, or when lawmakers force a government shutdown, as they did in October, it can inflict deep and lasting harm on the local economy. Last year's disruption was thankfully brief, but it showed the potential risks of a business model dependent on the federal government.

Uncertainty is a similar threat to stability. Consider the case of the USS George Washington, which is due at the shipyard in 2016 for a refueling. The overhaul would give the ship another 25 years of service, but depends on the Navy maintaining an aircraft carrier fleet of 11.

The Defense Department budget unveiled in March includes $116 billion above sequestration levels for 2016-19, enough to keep the carrier fleet at 11, but would depend on Congress not reverting to sequestration, as current law would demand. The absence of a decision by lawmakers leaves NNS in limbo, waiting to either refuel or retire the George Washington until Congress determines a course of action.

If we want ships produced at a value to taxpayers, a workforce comfortable in its mission and a region which reaps the financial rewards, we need clear direction from Washington. Lawmakers who represent Hampton Roads must advocate on behalf of long-term planning and help provide predictability and stability.